Back gauge for shears



Feb. 23, 1937. R. "r. HAZELTON V BACK GAUGE FOR SHEARS Filed May 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

" im m W Q QZZLW ATTORNEY5,

Feb. 23, 1937. R. r. HAZELTON BACK GAUGE FOR sa'mns Filed May 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zn l 4 w as Q INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 23,1937. R. T. HAZELTON 2,071,402

' BACK GAUGE FOR SHEARS Filed May 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Muff/ w ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 23, 1937. R. T. HAZELToN 2 BACK GAUGE FOR SHEARS Filed May 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fimurm eam 6ZZMA dzlzw ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED T TE$ TENT orncs 5 t -3- Q 'Q UGE"FR smiims Robert 'rinareutii, Cincinnati; Ohi, i f. t

The Cincinnati Shape: Company, Q

reinatter lrfw e rmres L heart npon readingthese spew mp1 sh'by that certain construe-V V My,invention'relates-td shears, and particularly, to". he y nism wherein 'a back gauge is; fixed carrying the movable blade. l-Iitherto genient-of-parts-of which I shall been the Practice to providea hack' E 18 which w describe crtain-siekemplaryembodiments. 5 is in the form 'of an abutmenfiitogether with For a'betterfunders'tanding of myinvention refmeans for moving this abutment provideron erence is now made to the drawings, wherein:

different widths of cut'.];';A way..,,o doing. this, igFigure Us a perspective view of an assembly l "the which has found favor in the-'artcomprises' of one form of my back gauge mechanism. provision of threadedshaftsjatinterspa Fig. 2 is a. perspective view of a hand wheel 10 in back of the ram, and lying 'genrall I d-indic'ating mechanism construction.

dicular thereto, the abutment memb v 131's a sectional view of the device of Fig. 2

the form of an angle piece, being' at the several operating parts thereof.

nuts riding on the threaded shafts. --Means gfi is a view inperspective of the rear of a i5 provided for turning the shafts, which fin on power shear showing the type ofback gauge and 16 embodiment comprise a common shaft connected indicating mechanismoi Figglin'place thereon. to the several threaded shafts by means of bevel Fig. 4a isa transverse vertical section on line gears, or the like, and provided with a. hand lit-4a of Fig. 5 v wheel. A long scaleand a pointeris usually Fig. 5 isva View showing one way of bringing provided to indicate the widthof the -cut; nll out the back gauge operating and indicating o of this mechanism is located behindithe ram, j mechanism to the front of he hear, al showwhere it is somewhat difllcultllto. set at, and" ing the abutment connectionsin vertical section where, as one operates the handwheel, or the Ollfihe line 55 ofFig. 4a. like, it is somewhat inconvenient to read the scale Fig. 6 shows in section aiportion-of the oper" at the same time. Moreover, since angular cuts .ating parts fen-the device of Fig. 5,.theleft hand are sometimes desired, and since it is therefore}: part being coiiyeiitionally indicated as in the advantageous to be able to set the abutment plane of the right hand paft, forfc 1earness. member at various angularities with respectto 7 and 8 are respectivelyplain and elevathe shear knives, provision has had to bemade v tijonal views of another way of bringing out to v for this, usually'by providing a slip clutch in the the front of the shear the operating and indicat- 30 operating shaft which turns the various threaded ing mechanism for the back gauge. shafts. Figs. 9' and "10 are respectively plan andeleva- It is an object of my invention to simplify the tional views of a motor-driven back gauge mechconstruction of back gauge mechanisms. It is anism, 10 having parts in section and showalso an object of my invention to provide a novel in; also awiring diagram. 5

indicating device for showing the width of the Briefiyrin the practice of myinvention, I procut, which indicating device is located in such a vide means for mounting a pair of threaded position that it may be conveniently consulted shafts in a position substantially perpendicular by the operator as he works the mechanism which to the ram, an abutment, means to which the r varies the width of the out. It is again an object abutment is attached, which means are threaded 40 of my invention to provide a device which has upon the shafts, acommon means for operating improved provision for the setting of the back the threaded shafts, anovel indicator mechanism gauge at an angle, and which does not require attached 'thereto, andjme'ans for providing for the use of slip clutch mechanisms and the like. anglecuts, which meanscomprise a member slid- Further objects of my invention have to do with able andadj'ustable' with'reference to one of the -45 the provision in certain embodiments of a back means threaded on' the shafts, to which means 'gauge which can both be operated, and on which the abutment is also-pivoted. In other phases the width of cut may be read, from the front of of my invention I provide mechanical means for the shear, so that it is not necessary for the operlocating the operating device and indicating ator to go back behind the shear to perform these means for the back gauge at the front' of the 50 operations. Clearly by such provision I attain shear; or a motor drive for the back gauge mechanother object of my invention, namely the proanism, and indicating means which are readable vision of a shear structure, in'which the operation from the front of the shear. can be speeded up. I have shown a shearhaving a frame I, a table These and other objects of invention which 2, a lower knife 3'; and'aram I bearingan upper 55 knife 5. A back stay for the ram is indicated at 6, and on the bottom of this back stay are mounted, by bolts 6a, housing members 1 and la, containing respective threaded shafts 8. As seen in Figs. 4a and 5, a main nut member 9 is threaded upon each shaft 8, and slidable but non-rotatable with respect to the housing I or Ia. A supplementary nut member I is also provided, which similarly is slidable but nonrotatable with respect to the housing I or Ia, and a compression spring II is located between the main nut 3 and the supplementary nut III. The purpose of this construction is to take up any play between the nuts and the threads, to provide for the smooth operation of the device, and to eliminate lost motion and inaccuracies. A member I2 is slidably mounted with respect to the housing I and is connected with the main nut 8. The abutment member I3 is in the form of an angle iron, and is pivoted as at I4 to the slide I2. I

The right hand sliding member I 2a differs from the member I2 in that it is wider, and is provided with a longitudinal T-slot I5. The abutment member I3 has a longitudinal slot I3a at this side, through which is a bolt I3b slidable in the T-slot I5. Thus the abutment member I3 may be held to the member I2a in a plurality of positions, by the bolt I 31) slidable in the T-slot I5 and also slidable along the member I 2a in the slot I 3a of the abutment member I3. This makes provision for adjusting the angularity of the abutment member I3 without the necessity of any unequal or differential movement of the threaded shafts. The operator, in providing for an angle cut, will first set the abutment I3 to the desired angularity by loosening its connection with the member I2a, sliding it with respect thereto, and tightening it in the new position.

40 After the abutment member I3 has been set to the desired angularity, the width of cut is gauged by a rotation of both shafts in unison by means of the hand wheel, as will hereinafter be explained. Cooperating indicia I21) and I20 may be placed on the abutment member I3 and the sliding member I2a to indicate the angular displacement of the abutment member.

A reference to Figs. 5 and 6 will show the threaded shaft 8 in its housing I, provided with 50 a bearing I6, and a bevel pinion IT. A horizontal shaft I8, common to both threaded shafts, is mounted in bearings I9 and is provided with a bevel gear 20 meshing with the bevel pinion II. The common shaft I8 may be connected directly 55 to a hand wheel and indicating mechanism such as I have shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Here the hand wheel is indicated at 2|, attached to the shaft I8. To the shaft is also attached a scale bearing member 22 provided in this instance with a serrated or toothed portion 23. 24 is a clamp member, pivoted as at 25, to a bracket member 25, and driven by a compression spring 21 in such a way that a tooth thereon meshes with the teeth of the serrated portion 23. The bracket 23 is attached to the end portion of the housing I, and is provided with a central stationary portion 28, which not only holds index means 29 and 30, but also serves as a mounting for the gear arrangement next to be described.

Referring to Fig. 3, the hand wheel 2I will be understood as non-rotatably fixed to the shaft I8. So likewise is the member 22. This may, however, conveniently be done by providing the member 22 with a split bushing 22a and a set screw 22b, so that the position of the member 22 on the shaft I8 may be adjusted. In this way the member 22 can initially be given the proper setting, and subsequently be returned to zero if it comes out. This member 22 has concentric and unitary with it, on its inner face, a pinion 29 meshing with a gear 30 mounted upon the bracket portion 28. This gear has a shaft 3I toothed as at 32. The teeth thereof mesh with a gear 33 concentric and unitary with a member 34 rotatably mounted upon the shaft I8. Since the bracket member 28 is stationary, as the shaft I8 is turned by means of the hand wheel, the member 22 will rotate once for each turn of the shaft I8, but the member.34 will rotate a lesser number of times, depending upon the ratio of the gear driving structure just referred to. The member 34 is provided with a scale 35 shown in Fig. 2. The two scales 22 and 35 may be graduated in any way desired. In the particular embodiment shown, the threads on the shaft 8 and the ratio of bevel gears 20 and II are such that one rotation of the hand wheel 2I will move the abutment I3 one inch. This provides for a rapid movement of the back gauge. Consequently I graduate the scale 22 in fractional parts of an inch, sixty-fourths of an inch in the illustrations. I graduate the scale 35, in inches. The reading on the scale shown in Fig. 2 is eighteen and nineteen sixty-fourths inch. It will be obvious, however, that the two scales may be otherwise graduated in the English, metric, or other systems of measurement, as desired. But whatever system of graduation is employed, it will be seen that I have provided for the rapid and easy operation of the back gauge mechanism, and an indicating means which is located at the point of operation and is easily and quickly read. In operation, when a new setting is desired, the lever 24 is swung aside, and the hand wheel rotated either forwardly or backwardly to the proper setting as indicated upon the scales 22 and 35, and the lever 24 is released, whereupon by engagement with the teeth 23 on the member 22, it locks the operating mechanism at the new setting. It will be clear that instead of the lever 24, I may use such other latching or braking means as may be desired, or such means may be omitted altogether.

A reference to Fig. 4 will show the location of the type of gauge of Fig. 1 on the back of a power shear. As such, my new device provides a great improvement over devices heretofore used. However, it is still more convenient to locate the operating and indicating means for the back gauge at the front of the shear, and one means for doing this is indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Reference to Fig. 6 will show the shaft I8 prolonged and carried into a housing member 36, which is attached by means of a bracket 37 to the end of the housing 'I at an angle to shaft I8 as in Fig. 5, instead of as conventionally shown in Fig. 6. A bearing 38 is provided for the shaft I8 in this housing, and a bevel gear 39 is nonrotatably fixed to the shaft I8. Another shaft 40, extending upwardly at said angle to the shaft I8, is also journaled as at 4| in the housing 36. and is provided with a bevel gear 42 meshing with the gear 39. In Fig. 5 I have shown attached to the top of the ram 4 a housing member indicated generally at 43, containing a shaft 44 mounted in suitable bearings. This shaft carries a bevel gear 45, meshing with a bevel gear 46 on the end of the shaft 40, which enters the housing 43 and is journaled therein as by means"- of a bearing 41. Since all of this apparatus is mounted on the ram 4 and moves therewith, this enables me to bring out the hand wheel 2! and the various indicating and clamping devices, understood to be as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and being marked generally 48 in Fig. 5, to the front of the shear, where the operator can get at them conveniently without passing to the rear of the shear. The hand wheel and indicatin devices in the organization of Fig. 5, of course move with the ram 4.

In Figs. '7 and 8, I have shown a means whereby the hand wheel and operating mechanism can be brought out to the front of the shear, rigidly located on the frame thereof, and below the table. In this embodiment, by reason of the movement of the ram, I have made provision for a sliding connection in the operating mechanism for the back gauge. As shown in Fig. 7, I attach to the end of the housing member I a housing 49, which extends through a perforation 50 in the side frame member I of the shear.

The shaft "is brought through this housing,

and is journaled therein as at El, being provided with a bevel gear 52. Below the opening 50 in the housing I provide a bracket 53, in which I journal, as at 54, a splined shaft 55. This shaft enters the housing 49, which is extended upwardly as at 56 to provide for the movement of the housing 49 with reference to the shaft '55. This shaft is provided with the bearing 5! in the. housing 49, and a bevel gear 58 is slidably, but

non-rotatably mounted on the shaft This construction permits the ram to descend, the bevel gear 58 and the housing 49 sliding with respect to the shaft 55. Thus I am able to-mount an operating shaft 59 non-slidably on the frame I. This shaft isjournaled as at 60 in the bracket 53, and is provided at its outer end (in a position for convenient access) with the hand wheel 2!, and the indicating and operating device 48. Motion is transferred between shafts It and 59 by means of meshing bevel gears Bi and 62 on the shafts respectively .in the bracket member 53.

In the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10 a motor drive is provided. A housing member 63, at-

tached to the member I, extends upwardly and r is provided with a vertical or substantially vertical shaft 64 journaled as at 89, and provided with a bevel gear 69 meshing with the gear. A

worm gear 61 is mounted on this shaft, and is arranged to be driven by a worm 69 on theshaft of a motor 69 mounted upon the back stay 9 of the .ram. At the top of the housing 83 an indicating dial III is attachedto the shaft 64 and corresponds to the dial 2! of the other embodiment of my invention hereinabove illustrated. The dial in this case is made large, since it is to be read by the operator of the shear over the top of the ram 4. A second dial 1| is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 84, and is driven by a gear arrangement similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3. The housing 63 is perforated as at I! V to permit the dial H to be read.

The motor 59 is provided with some'sortof braking device to stop. the motor abruptly when the power is off. I have indicated at 13 in Figs. 9 and 10 a brake suitable for the purpose, which is a spring driven brake with a magnetic releasing device. movements by a forward and reverse control box of ordinary type illustrated at 14 in the drawings. Circuit connections in the box are of the ordinary type, but are indicated diagrammatically at I5 in Fig. 10. The box 14 is provided with a hand lever 14a. By flipping this lever The motor is controlled as to its down, the motor will operate in such a way as to move the abutment i3 of the back gauge outwardly to provide for a wider cut. By flipping the lever up, the operator can cause the motor tomove the abutment [3 of the back gauge inwardly to provide for a narrower cut. The position of the back gauge can be read by consulting the dials 10 and H over the top of the ram. It will be clear that modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a back gauge for metal'shears, the combination of a pair of threaded shafts, means for rotating said shafts, an abutment member, nuts on said shafts, said abutment member being pivoted'with relation to the nut on one of said shafts and slidably mounted with respect to the nut on the other of said shafts.

2. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of housing members, threaded shafts in said housing members, means for rotating said shafts in unison, members slidable with respect to said housing members and controlled by nuts on said shafts, an abutment member, said abutment member pivoted with respect to one of said sliding members and slidably mounted for adjustment with respect to the otherof said slid-ing members.

3. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of housing members, threaded shafts in said housing members, means for rotating said shafts in unison, members slidable with respect to said I housing members andcontrolled by nuts on said shafts, an abutment member movable with the movable ram of said shears, said abutment member pivoted with respect to one of said sliding members and slidably mounted for adjustment witlrxespect to the other of said sliding members by means comprising a member sliding with respect to an under-cut slot in said last mentioned sliding means.

4. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of housing members, threaded shafts in said housing members, means for rotating said shafts in unison, members slidable with respect to said housing members and controlled by nuts on said shafts, an abutment member, said abutment member pivoted with respect to one of said sliding members and ,slidably mounted for adjustment with respect to the other of said sliding members, and graduations on said abutment member and said last mentioned sliding member to indicate the angular displacement of said abutment member.

5. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of housing members, threaded shafts in said nous-.

ing members, means for rotating saidshafts in unison, members slidable with respect to said housing members and a plurality of nut members on each of said shafts, an abutment member movable with the movable ram of said shears, said abutment member pivoted with respect to one of said sliding members and slidably mountedfor adjustment withrespect to the other of said sliding members, each plurality of nut members being slidably mounted on a respective one of said housings, andcompression springs located between adjacent nut members of respective shafts; to take up lost motion and insure accuracy of adjustment of said abutment member.

6. In a back gauge for metal shears, an abut ment member movable with the movable ram,

, ing said shafts to rotate, Said 'bei shaft, a dial rotatably mounted with respect to' said common shaft, a geared connection between said two dials, and indlcatingbmsansxon said,

dials for indicating the position of "said shaft." 7. In a back gauge mechanism for metal shears,

a pair of threadedshafts provided with nuts,

means for preventing rotation of saidnuts, an v able ram of said shears, a common shaft, driving abutment member mounted withrespeot to said nuts, common means for rotatingsaid several shafts, indicating means for indicatingthe posi-j tion of said shafts,- saidindi'catingmeans being visible 1min the'front of'saidishear,.and:

accessible from the frontpf; said sh'ear for' caus movable with the movablel-ramro'fj said- 8. In a backlgauge-for metal-shears, 'a'pair housing members, threaded shaftssaid housing members, means ,for'rotatingjsaid shafts in unison, members slidable ;with-respect to said housing members and controlled by nut means on said shafts, an abutment membermovable with the movable ram of ,said shears, said abutdial means arranged for a fixed rotation with ment member pivoted with respect tofsaid sliding members, said nutmeans comprising a plurality of nutsmounted on each of said shafts-{and a compression spring located betweenadjace'n nuts to take up lost motionl 9. In a back gauge for metal shears, an abut-r ment member, means for moving said abutment member,;indicating means for indicating the position df'said abutment member, said means e;

ingvisible from the front of said shear, and

means accessible from the front of said shear for actuating said means for moving said abutment, all of said mechanism beingmovable with eating means attached to said shaft for indi cating the position of said. abutment member, said indicating means comprising at leasttwo unequally moving indicatinglmembers, one callbrated in length units and the other calibrated in fractional parts of length units.

12. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of threaded shafts, nuts-mounted on said threaded shafts, means for preventing the rotation of said nuts, an abutment member attached to said nuts, common means comprising a shaft for rotating said threaded shafts, means located upon and accessible from the front of said shear for producing a rotation of said shaft and for indicating the position thereof,'and a mechanical connection between said last-mentioned means and said means for rotating said shafts, all of said mechanism being movable with the movable ram of said shears.

13. In a back gauge for shears, abutment means movable with the movable ram, means comprising threaded shafts for moving said abuttions between said first-mentioned shafts and I ducing relativerotational movement.

14,. In a back gauge for metal shears, a pair of threaded shafts, abutment means arranged to be moved thereby and reciprocable with the movof-said shear for rotating said commonshaft,

dial means arranged for a fixed rotation with reference to said common shaft, 2. second dial eans, andme'ans producing differential rotaioiiof :said, several dial means;

15L'1'1Ih aback gaugefor metal shears, a pair of threaded shafts, abutment means arranged to'be moved thereby and movable with the movable ram of said shears, a common shaft, driving connections between said common shaft and said threaded shafts, means accessible from the front of said shear for rotating said common shaft,

reference to said common shaft, a 'aecond dial mean'sl lanjd' rn'eflnsgproducing differential rota- ",dialmeans, a motor for prouemg rotationoffsaid. commonv shaft, an automatically acting' brilfe ion saidgmotor, and controlling me ans for said motor located for access fr'om' the front of said sheanlsaid several dials 1 arranged in a position of visibilityin the front of said shear.

16, In a.,back gauge'for m shear, abutment means movable with the movable ram of said shear, a pair ofthreaded shafts controlling the flmovement of said abutment means, a common shaft operatively connected to said threaded shafts and extending beyond the housing of said shear, an operating shaft mounted on the housing of said shear and having an end accessible fdr'rotation from the front of said shear, means for-rotating said last-mentioned shaft, an indicating means for indicating the position thereoflocated for visibility from the front of said shear, and a mechanical connection between said operating shaft and said common shaft, said connection comprising asplined shaft and appropriate gearing, one portion of said gearing being slidable on said splined shaft to allow for movement of the ram of said shear, said spllned shaft and said ram lying in parallel planes.

' 17. In a shear having a table extending forwardly of the shear knives, a back gauge comprising an" abutment member, means for supporting said abutment member, means for moving said abutment member, and means accessible from the front of the shear for actuating said means for moving said abutment, all of said mechanism with the exception of said abutment member being located above the plane of said table, so as to provide clearance for sheared pieces behind and below the cutting blade of said shears.

18. In a shear having a. table extending forwardly of the shear knives, a back gauge comprising an abutment member, means for supporting said abutment member, indicating means for indicating the position of said abutment member, said means being visible from the front of said shear, and means accessible from the front means for rotating said shafts, an abutment.

member, nuts on said shafts, said abutment member being pivoted with relation to the nut on one of said shafts and slidablv mounted with respect member, and means accessible from the front of said shear for actuating said means for moving said abutment, said abutment and means for moving it being themselves movable, and means for moving them during a shearing stroke to provide clearance. g

22. In a back gauge for metal shears, an abutment member, motion transmitting means for. moving said abutment member, indicating means 5 for indicating'the position of said abutment memher. said means being visible from the front of said shear, and means for actuating said motion transmitting means for moving said abutment, said means comprising a motor, and control means therefor accessible from the front of said shear, said abutment meansand at least a portion of said motion transmitting means being movable upon movement of the ram of said shear.

23. In a back gauge for metal shears, an abutment member movable with the movable ram,

interspaced means for moving said abutment membe a common shaft operatively connected with said last mentioned means, means in a position of accessibility for rotating said common shaft, indicating means connected with said common shaft and visible from the same position of accessibility, said indicating means having a movable porticn reading in length units for the'full travel of said abutment means, at least one portion movablerelatively to the first portion, and reading in fractions of length units.

24. In a back gauge for metal shears, an abutment member, motion transmitting means for moving said abutment member, indicating means for indicating the position of said abutment member, said means being visible from a position of accessibility, and means for actuating said motion transmitting means for moving said abutment, said means comprising a motor, control means therefor accessible from the said position of accessibility, said abutment means and at least a portion of said motion transmitting means being movable upon movement of the ram of said shear.

"- ROBERT THI-IAZEL'I'ONf 

